Posts Tagged ‘Central Market Hall’

We went to Budapest. There was a cheap flight from Amsterdam and that’s really the only reason we ended up in Hungary. We knew almost nothing about Hungary and Budapest before going. So, here is what I learned.

1. Budapest is crazy beautiful.

Almost the whole time we were there it was rainy and overcast, but we could still see breathtaking views. Anything near and around the Danube is stunning. Bridges in this area are really done up like they are going to some sort of party. I read somewhere that people travel to Budapest just to walk around and take photos. I only wish I had the photo-taking skills to do Budapest some Justice.

2. The patron saint of Hungary is St. Stephen.

And, you can go see his hand at St. Stephen’s Basilica downtown. Or you can just wait until St. Stephen’s day, the day after Christmas. During the parade they take the hand out and let it join in the festivities. It’s not participating in the ring toss game or anything; it’s just held up, in its case, and marched down the street during the procession.

3. Budapest has a lot of hard-core flipper fans.

Remember pinball games? No? Me neither. I’ve only ever played pinball on my computer and it was never much fun. But in Budapest, they have pinball championships.

Mark and I visited the Budapest Flipper Museum and I played on a real pinball machine for the very first time. I LOVED it! All I want to do now is find an arcade with pinball machines and waste a few Sunday afternoons.

4. Hot wine is amazing!

I don’t know if all hot wine is good or just the stuff I found in Budapest. It’s wine heated up with some fruit and sugar added. I don’t like the taste of alcohol, but the wine I bought on the street here had no alcohol flavor. I’m not sure on the alcohol content of the hot wine, so I would advise drivers to stay away from this drink. But, I’m a bit of a lightweight and I did down a couple cups on one of the coldest days of our stay and didn’t get the least bit tipsy.

6. Hungary used to be a lot bigger.

Transylvania used to be a part of Hungary and so did many of the lands Hungary now borders. There are a lot of people who identify as Hungarian ethnically, who are not citizens of Hungary. Wars, invasions, and conflicts over the years were the cause of their ever fluid territory.

7. Hungary used to be communist.

They were held under the communist thumb like other parts of Central and Eastern Europe. When the iron curtain fell causing the Berlin Wall to come down, communist Hungary was also no more. Luckily, you can still see all of Budapest’s communist statues in a park on the outskirts of town. You can even get a great little hand book, at the park, with a few cheeky quips about communist life.